MARGAO
A strong posse of policemen, which was stationed at the fishing jetty, rushed inside the union office after members traded blows and chairs started flying in the office. The meeting of the Union was called on Sunday morning to elect a new president of the committee after the expiry of one year tenure of outgoing President Savio D Silva. Cuncolim Police station in-charge, PI Gurudas Kadam and Executive Magistrate rushed to the Cutbona Boat Owners Union office to bring the situation and the warring groups under control.While the purse seine owners demanded that the Union should have two presidents, each representing the purse seiners and the fishing vessel owners, this was opposed by the fishing vessel owners bringing the two groups face to face. After the police brought the situation under control with cooperation of members of both the groups, the two sides later worked out a settlement after a marathon three-hour long meeting marred by acrimonious scenes and bedlam, wherein the Union for the first time will have two presidents each heading 10-member committee proposed by the two groups. Later briefing the media, president of the fishing vessel owners, Savio D Silva, said the two sides hammered out a settlement by agreeing to have two presidents. “We have decided that the two presidents will sit and take decisions on issues affecting the jetty in the interest of the boat owners,” Savio said, adding “henceforth, decisions concerning the boat owners will be taken by both the presidents.”Seby Cardozo, president of the purse seine owners, told the media after the meeting that it was finally decided that purse seine and fishing owners have separate committees headed by two presidents and work together in the interest of all the boat owners.
